Alternating etch and passivation process

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the exposed silicon-containing material is selected from the group consisting of amorphous silicon, silicon oxide, SiON, SiOC, SiONC, SiC, and SiN.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) comprises etching tin oxide using a chlorine-based etch chemistry that comprises exposing the semiconductor substrate to a plasma-activated chlorine-containing reactant selected from the group consisting of Cl2, BCl3, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) comprises etching the tin oxide using a hydrogen-based etch chemistry that results in a formation of a tin hydride.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) comprises etching the tin oxide using a hydrogen-based etch chemistry, by contacting the semiconductor substrate with a plasma-activated hydrogen-containing reactant selected from the group consisting of H2, HBr, NH3, H2O, a hydrocarbon, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) comprises etching tin oxide using a chlorine-based etch chemistry that comprises exposing the semiconductor substrate to a plasma-activated process gas comprising a chlorine-containing reactant selected from the group consisting of Cl2, BCl3, and combinations thereof, and a diluent gas selected from the group consisting from helium, neon, argon, and xenon and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein (b) comprises treating the substrate with an oxygen-containing reactant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein (b) comprises treating the substrate with a plasma-activated oxygen-containing reactant.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein (b) comprises treating the substrate with a plasma formed in a process gas comprising a gas selected from the group consisting of O2, O3, SO2, and CO2.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein (b) is performed before (c).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) is performed before (b).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein operations (b) and (c) are performed between 2-50 times.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing material is selected from the group consisting of amorphous silicon, silicon oxide, SiON, SiOC, SiONC, SiC, and SiN, wherein the passivating in (b) comprises treating the substrate with a plasma-activated oxygen-containing reactant, and wherein (c) comprises etching the tin oxide using a chlorine-based etch chemistry that comprises exposing the semiconductor substrate to a plasma-activated chlorine-containing reactant selected from the group consisting of Cl2, BCl3, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein (b) comprises treating the semiconductor substrate with a nitrogen-containing reactant.